Method and an apparatus for filling of molds with liquidy metals

Abstract

A casting process for casting, in particular of sand molds provided with casting boxes, which makes it possible to keep the apparatus expense low, to save cycle material and to achieve an improved quality, consists of the intake channel extending in a plane lying essentially horizontally during casting and being provided with a bearing surface defining its port, onto which bearing surface can be sealingly positioned a fill pipeline through which the mold can be filled with metal under low pressure. A casting system to carry out the method consists of a casting machine with a pressure kettle and a fill pipeline which is connected to the intake channel lying essentially in a horizontal plane, whereby the sealed coupling of fill pipeline and intake channel is obtained through specified bearing pressure.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for filling of a mold consisting of lower and upper parts each having an internal mold cavity separated by a generally horizontally oriented mold-dividing plane and an intake channel extending in and along the mold-dividing plane to provide a generally horizontally facing inlet port to the mold cavity, and a casting machine having a generally horizontally facing outlet port through which molten metal flows for facilitating a filling of the mold cavity, comprising the steps of: 
       moving the mold and the inlet port thereof laterally toward and into a sealingly coupled relation to the outlet port of the casting machine;  
       causing molten metal in the casting machine to flow through the outlet port into the inlet port and thence into the mold cavity of the mold.  
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the moving step includes the step of inclining the mold slightly with respect to the horizontal. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower parts of the mold each are made of sand and have a recess at a bottom of which is defined the inlet port, and wherein the moving step includes the step of moving the outlet port into the recess. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the casting machine has a pressure kettle receiving the metal to be cast, into the lower area of which pressure kettle terminates lower ends of a fill chute and a fill pipeline coupled at an upper end thereof to the horizontally facing outlet port, and wherein the fill chute has a fill funnel which projects above the fill level of the pressure kettle and the outlet port, and wherein the step of causing molten metal in the casting machine to flow is achieved by pressurizing the pressure kettle. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein after the filling of the mold has taken place the intake channel is mechanically closed off and the mold is returned into its initial position. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the intake channel is closed off by sand/core movement. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower and upper mold parts are supplied on a floor-mounted conveyor, wherein a moving device is integrated into the floor-mounted conveyor and wherein the moving step includes a moving of the moving device toward the casting machine to bring the inlet and outlet ports into the coupled relation. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the inlet port on the molds are pressed with a specifiable force against the outlet port. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the headpiece of the fill pipeline can be changed. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , including the step of filtering the molten metal thereby preventing the flowing back of sand particles from the intake channel. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , including the step of making the lower and upper mold parts of a gas-permeable sand, and causing the cavity of the mold to be closed completely but for the intake channel. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein several molds are filled simultaneously. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure in the casting machine is varied during the casting corresponding with the geometry of the mold cavity.